Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jiayi Zhang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jiayi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I would honestly say that it really depends on the situations that I have to face at the different time. For instance, I will be extremely happy if I am doing my personal work, which I have no rules and restrictions but showing my own creativity. In contrast, I would feel restricted if given a job with a lot of prohibitions.I t means I cannot release my own creativity 100 percent as an artist. I personally think creativity is the most vital feature for artists, as well as all the people. To be creative, to create what makes people resonating with us and to bring people Fantasies are undoubtedly the biggest happiness for me in my career.
I have to acknowledge that I have imagined several times how it feels to have a regular job as same as ordinary people from my perspective. From a realistic point of view, a regular job comes with stable paycheck which could support your family and your lives. You will also have a more organized routine for your daily life. Conversely, artists tend to have a more “flexible” life routine. We could choose to start our own business or work by contracts from art directors who appreciate our work. Hence there are numerous unsuitabilities among artists’ life. However, that is also what makes creative career interesting and amazing. You are always on exploration of the world, discovering beautiful things, trying different lifestyles, which could be defined as a more colorful life.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hello! Everyone! My name is Jiayi Zhang, my English name is Tom, and I named myself from my favorite animation “Tom and Jerry, the amazing exaggeration that appeared in this piece has positively influenced my future creative career as well. I am from Zhengzhou, a city located in the central part of China. Many people might not heard of this place but the famous Shaolin Temple is right near my town, which is the birthplace of Chinese Kung fu. Furthermore, my city used to be an ancient capital of the Shang Dynasty thousands of years ago. Accordingly, I was raised within a rich cultural and historical environment, representing not only Chinese but also the far Eastern Asian culture. Such great influence is also reflected in my artwork such as Chinese style line drawings, composition, the choice of visual voice, and the color palette. However, with the growth of my experiences, I gradually realize the importance of connecting to the entire world as an art learner. I cannot only focus on Asian culture, the world is united after all. There are so many unique cultures, traditions, races, and lifestyles that I might be missed if I do not ” open my eyes” to them. Therefore, I decided to study abroad in the USA because I think it is the land that gathers a variety of culture assembly, allowing me to strongly broaden my horizons.
I am currently a graduate illustration student at Savannah College of Art and Design, as well as a freelance illustrator. I am keen on collecting ideas from my daily life, my classmates, professors, and even the juniors are from different countries, and different cultural circumstances. By interacting with them, I am impressed with the various ways of thinking and the unique art styles that I have never seen before. All of those are beneficial for me in exploring my style of illustration. I inherently believe that the things we see, feel, and think can finally be demonstrated in our self-creation. In my journey of creating illustrations, I tried to combine the beautiful diversity of culture and art forms. For Instance, I depicted the figures from African and Native American totemism with Eastern Asian line drawings, filled with strong, bright colors from Hispanic architecture and finally uniting them into Western composition. Bringing strong bright colors into the figure drawings from Chinese mythology is also an interesting way to create pieces. What I have learned from these processes is art belongs to everyone, it can be demonstrated in every form and also showcases to everyone.
I am still working on my exploration of my art style right now. I have to acknowledge that I am too young to fully understand several things so far. However, it also provides me opportunities to try, to fail, to do better. Art is an endless topic for every artist and ordinary people, the same as our life. We will never know what is going to happen to ourselves and other people in the next second. That is the reason why I enjoy listening to other people’s stories which could always impress me and bring new inspiration for me to create. Hence I think I am not just exploring my art style, but also learning who am I at the same time with the change of life and experience. It will be a long and uncertain journey but that makes life more enjoyable and interesting as well.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
In my case, I do not really have a specific goal or mission driving my journey of creativity. Because my mind and thoughts could possibly change during the growth of my age. For instance, my only motivation driving my journey is getting a great score on my entrance exam to college, but it has right now turned into sharing my artwork with the most people and enjoying the joy of art together. But it could possibly be changed with the change in my experience. However, the eternal goal of my creative journey is to discover the beauty of the world and the people around me.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that art provides a platform for us to build a personal world, which, in my opinion, is a “place” for us to take a break from the tiring reality. Nowadays, people are sometimes forced to hide their true selves in order to integrate into the current society. They even do not have enough time to really be themselves and get along with themselves. Even if they have the time, they might not find the proper way to do that. Unlike the others, artists build their personal world based on their mentality, their hearts, and their imagination. These features help them to better explore what they really need, what makes them happy, and what makes their life enjoyable. They will gain inspiration through this whole process, it is also their most precious asset.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://jiayizhangtom.org
- Instagram: jiayi7755
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555883501729&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/zhang-jiayi-bb4108276
- Twitter: https://x.com/jiayi6120?s=21&t=8UG0ggD57rVTUkVPv-UNuA
- Other: Behance: https://www.behance.net/zhangjiayi Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@user3696055072786?_t=8jmp4qOJOSU&_r=1